COVID-19 Pandemic: 3D Printing Events Postponed, Cancelled, Moved Online
We’ve been keeping our readers informed about what’s been going on in the 3D printing industry during the COVID-19 pandemic for quite some time ; honestly, this continuing crisis has lasted longer than I ever thought, or hoped, it might. It feels like the world has been turned upside down, as major industry events continue to be cancelled, postponed , or moved to an online format , though 3D printing business seems to be going strong .
That’s why, in May , we began publishing a weekly roundup of the available online webinars and virtual events , since there’s so much online content to choose from now. For example, the ASTM International Conference on Additive Manufacturing ( ASTM ICAM 2020 ), sponsored by ASTM’s Additive Manufacturing Center of Excellence ( AM CoE ), was supposed to take place in sunny Orlando, Florida from November 16-20, but has now been moved to a virtual format.
AM CoE had to consider the health and safety of not only the speakers and attendees, but also its staff members, as well as coronavirus-related travel restrictions and guidelines on large gatherings, while contemplating this decision. After consulting with the organizing scientific committee and hearing the opinions and preferences of those set to speak at the large event, the organization made the difficult choice to move this year’s ASTM ICAM online.
“This year’s event will be the largest conference we have held to date and will consist of more than a dozen tracks and double the number of speakers with respect to last year’s event. The conference will involve a broad group of ASTM committees and external stakeholders, setting the stage to bring nearly 350 experts from more than 25 countries to exchange the latest developments in the field of additive manufacturing with an emphasis on transition of research to standardization,” stated Dr. Moshen Seifi, ASTM International’s director of global additive manufacturing programs and a co-chair of ASTM ICAM 2020. “We are aware of time-zone differences and are making every effort to hold this virtual event seamlessly with the latest available technology.”
ASTM ICAM 2020, led by Dr. Seifi and fellow co-chair Dr. Nima Shamsaei, director of the National Center for Additive Manufacturing Excellence (NCAME), is being organized by 60 members of the organization’s scientific committee. This online conference will be ASTM’s fifth flagship event centered on certification, qualification, requirements, and standardization in the additive manufacturing process chain. The event will last five days, separated into online panel presentations and sessions and virtual symposia; you can register, and see the full schedule, here .
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